Maji Mazuri Children's Centre

Maji Mazuri is an established NGO and registered Children’s Home in Nairobi. It was founded and is directed by a knowledgeable Kenyan Women, Wanjiku Kironyo. Maji Mazuri currently maintains 6 successful projects addressing the needs of those most impacted by HIV/AIDS. The projects include: a special needs children’s home and emergency center in Kasarani, a self-help group in Mathare Valley, a Kiserian School, a Headstart Project in Mathare Valley, a Mathare youth group, and a farm project in Kiserian.

            As a Master Level Social worker I was amazed to see the holistic approach being taken by Maji Mazuri to work on the AIDS epidemic in Kenya and the resulting Orphan Crisis. The level or professionalism, cultural understanding and care found at Maji Mazuri is amazing. They are one of the most underfunded organizations we work with, however the work they do reaches so many in need. I highly recommend this organization to anyone looking for a trustworthy organization to donate to. The level of detail taken to noting every donation they receive and how the donations are used can help to assure donors that whatever they are able to share will be used wisely to serve those in need.

            A US based office for Maji Mazuri is being created at this time. It’s creation will make it easier for individuals to send donations to Maji Mazuri. For now it is possible to send monetary donations directly to Maji Mazuri, their bank details are:   . Individuals can also mail them donations to ? .  Our family is creating and sponsoring a website for Maji Mazuri, you can check on it’s progress at www.majimazuri.org

Currently Maji Mazuri is seeking funds to establish a Youth Initiative focused on HIV/AIDS awareness in the Mathare valley slum. The slum is estimated to have 600,000 residents with 40% of the population being youth. HIV/AIDS is spreading at an astonishing rate in the urban community where poverty, pollution, high crime rates and poor education is a way of life. The youths have little hope to survive and often turn to a life of crime or high-risk behaviors, such as brewing/selling illegal substances, prostitution and petty crimes. These endeavors place the youth at higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and contribute to the social decline. The youth are the future for Kenya and only by providing them with hope and education will they have the power to battle HIV/AIDS.  Education about HIV/AIDS is paramount, as is assisting the community to see the correlation between behavior changes and the reduction of HIV/AIDS transmission. However, grasping the youth’s attention is difficult when concerns of hunger, shelter, and safety take precedent.  It is by addressing these concerns that Maji Mazuri’s proposal intends to succeed.  By combining vocational training with the HIV/AIDS education, Maji Mazuri will uniquely offer the youths a safe environment in which to find hope in themselves and the community.      

Maji Mazuri’s goal is to provide a holistic approach to the HIV/AIDS epidemic by addressing not only the need for education on HIV/AIDS and care for those infected, but also examining the root causes behind its increased spread.

            The various projects that constitute the Maji Mazuri social economic empowerment program are discussed below.

Maji Mazuri Children’s Home and Emergency Centre (Kasarani)

This was the first site to be established by Maji Mazuri. It is located on a quarter acre plot of land in Kasarani Mwiki, in the outskirts of Nairobi. The center provides a home to over 40 children, who are either mentally or physically handicapped and many of whom are orphaned, usually because of HIV/AIDS. The goal of the project is to rehabilitate the children with special needs and integrate them into normal society. As such, the center also provides formal education for the children.

The housing facilities consist of the permanent structures and fixtures necessary for the services offered, although not necessarily to the desired standards. The project provides food, accommodation facilities, medical and daycare services and has engaged the services of a project manager who is in charge of the day to day running of the program, two special education teachers, a computer trainer, and four project support staff.

To enhance the children skills and abilities and provide them with opportunities for employment, the center offers very well organized training in computer, carpentry and dressmaking. These training services are also available to the public at a subsided fee. Some of the children, who have gone through the center, though with very serious physical handicap, have now been to local universities pursuing formal education. For example, Nicholas Oiko is waiting to join Nairobi University to pursue a degree program in humanities after successfully completing his secondary education at Thika High School. Maji Mazuri provided all his financial support.  He is in need of sponsorship at this time in order to continue his studies at University. If you are interested in sponsoring some of his educational fees or other orphans in need please contact Maji Mazuri.

Mavuno Maji Mazuri Self Help Group

This is an income-generating project, initially designed to assist single mothers and widows to start small-scale businesses and earn a living for themselves and their families. The program started in the year 2001, and is based in Mathare Valley. The program started with only five women, but its membership now stands at over 100, who are fully, engaged in various small businesses activities within Nairobi City.  The program has expanded to support all the slum poor regardless of gender, and currently targets women, youth and men. The program also offers business skills training to the current and potential members. Other services provided are businesses counseling, follow up and day-to-day advice on any problems that arise.

To understand the problems of the community better and devise ways of addressing those problems, the project initiated community participatory brainstorming sessions in which affected women were encouraged to share their problems and together devise/identify possible solution. At such meetings, professionals, particularly in income generating activities, were invited to share their experiences with our clients and guide them in generating business ideas. Participants were encouraged to think about how they could do business.

After several meetings of analysis and evaluation of various business options, the idea of a tea kiosk was born. This business option appeared simple and less costly to start. Women provided cups, pots and other supplies, while the program raised the initial investment in rent. All the women were involved in managing the business at the initial stages. Since a majority of the women were illiterate, the main component of the initial program was to train women on how to run a small business. Although the business made a good profit, the money received was not enough to be shared out to all women.

It was then found necessary to look at other business options. Three women per week were assigned to run the original business alternately, while others were encouraged to try different business options, such as selling charcoal firewood, groceries, retail shops and selling second hand clothes. These businesses did not progress well since women started having problems with the authorities. At that time, the political situation was very unstable and no meetings were allowed without a permit, and the authorities closely watched every social gathering. Since it was difficult for women to meet and plan under such circumstances, it was found necessary to register the group.

As the group continued to work, other constraints such group dynamics and individual differences started to emerge and compromise the businesses that were running at the time. The program therefore begun to encourage individual business initiatives based on cooperative movement principles, while the organization became a micro finance institution that provided soft loan to members. Members were trained on practical skills of running a business and in bookkeeping, and supported by the project manager to start of the business. There are now a total of 100 members who have received/are receiving financial support from the project.

Maji Mazuri Kiserian School

As the programs activities in the slum areas expanded, it was found necessary to relocate the program activities to a one central place where all activities could be coordinated from, and which would provide training facilities for members on life skills. The program has therefore acquired a 30-acre plot of land in Kiserian, south west of Nairobi City.  About 116 children are attending primary school. Each parent pays some amount of money per term, per family, which goes towards paying the teachers salary and buying learning materials. However, since the community is very poor some families are not able to pay. Currently the project consists of a primary school and a nursery school.

Although located within what can be described as peri urban, the Masai community, living in this locality appears to be very rural. The new urban-like shelters mushrooming all over appear to suggest that the site will soon be part of the Nairobi urban area. Lack of social amenities is very much in-evidence. The terrain is flat and there is no source of water nearby. The community survives on the water pond that was constructed by one of the local NGO, in order to harvest rainwater and make it available mainly for Masai Cattle. This same water is used by the community, as well as by their livestock and wild animals, from the nearby Nairobi Game Park. There is no health facility nearby or a primary school while the nearest secondary school is about 40 Kilometer’s away in Isinye, The road is normally impassible during the rainy season and is very rough. However, a borehole has been dug and good quality water will be available by September 2004.

The Present School Buildings

The school consists of a newly constructed but incomplete stoned-walled building and a temporary building. The structure is designed as a multi story building although only the ground floor has been completed. There are plans to complete this structure and create more classrooms as well as to offer space for a school office. Currently the roof appears to be deteriorating due to exposure to extreme weather. There is therefore an urgent need to complete this structure to avoid future damage. This could involve completing the second floor and providing a temporary roofing, which could be removed at a later date if there is need to extend the building to more floors. There are eight classrooms furnished with wooden benches and tables. The classrooms do not have windowpanes and when it rains the class sessions are interrupted. Although the classrooms are not excessively full, the number of rooms available is not enough to house the current students’ population. A temporary structure is being used for the nursery class.

Accommodation Facilities

Although established as an educational center, there are no accommodation facilities for teachers, visitors on the students. Students walk from home to school. Some were reported to be walking for about 3 kilometers to the school. Currently all the teachers have rented a three-bedroom, partly completed, house next to the school. They are sharing this house with five children (three boys and two girls) who had recently lost their parent to HIV/IDS. There are more orphan children who could not be accommodated by teachers for lack of space, and the headmaster has requested some families to host some of these children whose parents or relatives have died of HIV/AIDS. The main needs of these orphans are food, clothing and school fees.

Health Problems

There are reported widespread cases of HIV/AIDS infection in the area. About 45 percent of the children at the school were reported to be orphans. In such circumstances, the only available option particularly for girls was to get married. The other phenomenon that complicated the matter is that men who have lost their wives to HIV/AIDS were often in a hurry to marry young girls, which means that such girls miss school and are at risk of contracting HIV. In December alone, it was reported that five parents died from HIV/AIDS and related diseases, and considering the Maasai culture of sharing wives, the problem of HIV/AIDS is likely to get worse.

Since the water that the community uses is drawn from an open pond, it is very dirty.  Masai cows and wild animals also use it. This exposes the community to various waterborne diseases. At the school there were reported cases of diarrhea diseases among the children, which is also a major cause of absenteeism.  Since there are no proper disease surveillance facilities it was not possible to estimate the burden of diseases in this community. Due to lack of health facilities access to medical services is very limited.

Sources of power

At the beginning of the year, Maji Mazuri managed to raise some money for drilling a borehole. The borehole has been drilled and an excellent flow of good quality within was discovered. However, an electrical generator and a pump are required to get the water to the reservoir tank and make it available for use by the community. The farm (see below, paragraph 4.6) on page 21 will provide training opportunities in agribusiness to Maji Mazuri members and the public. Since water will also be made available to the community on a cost-sharing basis, the money received will be used to support the program.

Education

The level of education in this area is very low as evidenced by the widespread illiteracy among parents and the late age at which children start school. It is customary for Masai girls to be married off at an early and tender age, while the boys are withdrawn from school to take care of livestock. For example, it was reported that in last year three girls from class seven were married off by their parents. The project manager tried to stop this sometimes at the risk of becoming an enemy to the community, but all was in vain.  It was even discovered in some cases that by the time we started taking measures to prevent these early marriages the girls were already pregnant. It is envisaged that providing accommodation for the girls is a necessary precaution to save them from these early marriages.

             However, the community, through their representatives, appears very motivated and supportive of the program, and appreciates the fact that the project has been able to provide education to their children despite the many difficulties. They are full of praise for the Director and all the teachers. They assure us of their support and assistance in whichever way they can. This is a strength that the project should capitalize on in building a viable community based education program.

Teachers

Currently the school has only 4 trained teachers including the headmaster and his deputy, thus many classes are going without teachers. Teachers have resigned citing the lack of a reliable salary and hardship as some of the reasons for leaving. Teachers get Ksh4000 (approximately US$ 50) each per month as salary, which is not enough to meet their basic needs. The other problem is that this salary is not guaranteed and depends on whether the parent has paid their contribution or not. The project has shared these problems with parents, and the community had pledged to increase their contributions from Ksh.500 per month per family to Ksh.600 (approximately US$ 7.50 per month) per family. Since this figure is out of reach for some families, there was a suggestion to institute work for fees. This is a viable strategy in any community, if managed well.

Learning Materials

Since the parents are poor, and cannot afford to buy school uniforms and learning materials for their children, let alone, assist in buying school furniture, the project has been buying school textbooks, uniforms and writing materials, for all the children. But as the number of destitute children increases the project cannot afford these essential services without a sustainable source of funding.

Linkages with the Community

There is a very good linkage between the community and the project, which is demonstrated by the cordial relationship observed between the school management and the parents committees.  There is need to sensitize the community on the basis of the program through more participatory initiatives. There is also need to work in partnership with other local community organizations. The school also works closely with Upper Matasia Secondary school, which willingly agreed to admit four girls who achieved the primary school certificate, despite the fact they did not have scholarship funding.

After School

Any effective school-based rehabilitation program requires that children who finish one level of education are enabled to proceed to the next level. Thus, accesses to opportunities at the next level are critical. Girls from this community are disadvantaged in that, immediately they finish the standard eight levels, their parents are quick to marry them off. Sometimes they become pregnant and therefore cannot continue with their schooling. Because of custom, some parents are not motivated to send their girls to secondary school, but rather encourage them to get married.

Future Plans

The project has the following future plans:

·        To provide boarding facilities, first for girls to save them from early marriages, and then also for boys

·        Continue offering primary education on a subsidized rate/cost-sharing basis,

·        Make water available to the community at a fee, and plough back the money to support the community,

·        Establish an agri-business training center which will be open to the local community and members from other Maji Mazuri programs,

Maji Mazuri HeadStart Project

Helping women in Mathare Valley to set up small businesses necessarily meant that they were not at home to care for their children for much of the day. Sadly, this led to severe problems.

Several women lost their children through fire and other dangers when left home un- attended. Other children were exposed to rape, prostitution and loitering in the streets. To address these problems Maji Mazuri started a day care center that would take care of the children as mothers went on with their businesses. The center provides shelter for children, and introduces them to formal education while at the same time allowing mothers to do their business without having to worry about the safety of their children.

Because of lack of sustained funding, the project remained for some time confined to simply feeding and providing the children with day care. However, as the center grew in popularity, more and more women brought in their children to be admitted, including some not necessarily participating in the Mavuo Self Help Program. The project has contracted the services of two youth volunteers who are offering formal education to these children at the pre unit level.

Mathare Maji Mazuri Youth Group

The youth program developed naturally out of the micro-business finance initiative. Parents in income generating activities began getting worried about their teenage children who were increasingly getting involved in anti social activities such as peddling drugs, prostitution, alcohol abuse and petty theft. It was therefore found necessary to provide counseling services to such children, some of whom were already ex prison convicts. The goal of the project was to help the youth improve the quality of their lives by working with each other, and with counselors, to acquire skills.  The program is also designed to provide a conducive environment within which youths can grow and develop into responsible adults.

Today more than 80 youth are in the program. Over the years, the youths have developed a number of activities designed to help rehabilitate slum teenagers and help them develop as adults with some dignity and as responsible citizens. The activities include drama, peer counseling, school visits, education tours, sports, slum clean ups, training, exchange programs and income generating activities. Members of the program have been out of the country on several occasions to make drama presentations. They have participated in sports competitions and have on several occasions won soccer competitions in various categories.

The members have shown that they are well mannered, focused and future oriented who are anxious for opportunities to prove their potential in life. What lacked were the opportunity and finances to support them. Several of the youths have joined the Mavuno Self Help Group and their businesses are doing extremely well. However, there is a need for a well thought out programs through which the youth can successfully exit to adult life.

The Maji Mazuri Farm Project

Maji Mazuri owns 5 acres farm of land around the primary school near Kiserian and has leased a further 2.5 acres of adjacent land for 10 years at a nominal rent from a well wisher. The land is excellent for growing vegetables and fruit but has lacked a consistent water supply. A neighboring farm with a borehole and an irrigation system is highly profitable.

Fortunately, funds to drill a borehole on Maji Mazuri’s own land were obtained and an abundant supply of good quality water was found. A generator has been purchased and a building to house it, and support elevated water tanks, is under construction with a completion date of August 2004. It is hoped to fund a pump and water tanks in the next two months, which will enable a start to be made with farming, and with providing much needed water- at a modest fee to the local Masai community whose cattle herds are threatened by a severe draught.

As more funds are obtained, the area of irrigated cultivation will be expanded. The farm has great potential to make a major impact on Maji Mazuri Programs:

• Producing a range of vegetables and fruit for consumption by the children, teachers and staff in the primary school, the Headstart Program and the Children’s Home.
• Generating substantial income from the sale of cash crops in both the domestic and export markets (the neighboring farmer exports passion fruit to the UK)
• Providing a facility for agri-business training for those graduates of the primary school not going on to secondary school, for some of the youth in the youth group and for members of the local community.